JP2006084366A - Automatic analyzer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic analyze provided with a reagent thermal insulation box capable of preventing water condensed in the reagent thermal insulation box from dripping into a reagent bottle. <P>SOLUTION: In the reagent thermal insulation box of the automatic analyzer, a structure is provided wherein cold air is blown out of every reagent removal opening. The reagent removal opening has a wall partitioning cold air and outside air. A door for reagent removal is installed with a hygroscopic material in a periphery, and it has a drain hole for draining excessive condensation water. By this, dew condensation in the reagent thermal insulation box, and inflow of condensation water can be prevented. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer for qualitative / quantitative analysis of various components contained in a biological sample such as blood and urine, and more particularly to a reagent cold storage for storing a reagent bottle containing a reagent for analysis. The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer.

  The conventional reagent cold storage has an open part for taking in and out the reagent bottle, and a cover is provided in the open part to prevent the cold air from escaping outside the container. The cover is generally used as the upper wall of the cold storage, and the cover has relatively small cutouts and holes (reagent inhalation) necessary as a passage for the reagent dispensing probe to dispense a required amount of reagent from the reagent bottle. Mouth).

  However, if hot and humid outside air enters the reagent cooler through the hole and contacts the back of the cover and falls below the dew point, water droplets generated by condensation on the back of the cover may drop into the reagent bottle. there were. Due to such dripping, there is a risk that the analytical accuracy may be reduced due to the thinning of the reagent, or the reagent may be deteriorated. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for preventing condensation from being mixed into a reagent container by collecting condensation in one place by tilting the back surface of the cover.

JP 08-262030 A

  In the above prior art, the cover structure is complicated and expensive, and as a result, it is assumed that high temperature and high humidity outside air enters the cabinet, resulting in a difference in the temperature distribution in the reagent refrigerator. End up. Therefore, the reagent is not easily affected by dew condensation, but has a problem of lacking stability because it is easily affected by temperature.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic analyzer having a reagent cooler that can prevent water droplets condensed on the inner surface of the upper wall of the reagent cooler from dropping into the reagent bottle.

  The configuration of the present invention for achieving the above object is as follows.

  An autoanalyzer equipped with a reagent cooler having an air cooler structure in which all of the cold air is blown out from a reagent outlet corresponding to the reagent bottle mouth using an air-cooled cooler.

  Specifically, there are provided a reagent storage unit for placing a plurality of reagent containers, a cool air introduction chamber for introducing cool air from a cooler adjacent to the reagent storage unit, and a cool air discharge chamber for returning cool air to the cooler. A cold air circulation unit, a cold air introduction port for introducing cold air from the cold air introduction chamber to the reagent storage unit, a cold air discharge port for discharging cold air from the reagent storage unit to the cold air discharge chamber, and a cooling air discharge chamber In the vicinity of the cooler, there is provided an automatic analyzer comprising a reagent cooler equipped with an outside air introduction port for introducing outside air into the cold air discharge chamber.

  Cover the area around the outlet with a wall and contact with the outside air so that the condensed water does not flow into the cabinet, and the reagent removal door has a moisture absorbent mounting part and a drain hole for draining excess condensed water A structure may be provided.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the entry of condensed water into the reagent cold storage. Therefore, stable and highly reliable data can be obtained.

  According to the present invention, since high temperature and high humidity outside air does not enter the reagent cool box, it is possible to prevent condensation from dripping onto the reagent bottle. Condensed water generated outside the reagent outlet does not flow into the reagent storage due to the presence of the wall. If a moisture absorbing material is accommodated in the reagent removal door that opens and closes when the reagent bottle is replaced, it absorbs condensed water, so that it does not drop into the reagent bottle when the reagent removal door is opened and closed. Moreover, when excessive dew condensation water which cannot be absorbed is generated, it is drained from a drain hole opened nearby. Therefore, stable data can be obtained without being affected by the thinning or deterioration of the reagent.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Usually, the inside of the reagent cooler is kept at 5 to 15 degrees. When hot and humid outside air enters from the reagent take-out port 1 of the reagent cooler cover and contacts the cooled back of the cover, dew condensation occurs when the temperature of the outside air drops and falls below the dew point. As shown in FIG. 1, in an air-cooled refrigerating chamber with closed air circulation, the cold air circulation in the refrigerating chamber is directed from the inner periphery toward the outer periphery at several reagent outlets 1 provided on the reagent refrigerating chamber cover. Therefore, a difference in atmospheric pressure is generated, and the cold air blowing side and the outside air introducing side are divided on the inner peripheral side and the outer peripheral side. FIG. 4 shows a top view of the present invention. From the top view, the cool box is circular. The cool box includes a cold air circulation section including a reagent storage section that stores a reagent container and a partition wall 8 that is provided below and separates an inner periphery and an outer periphery. In the cool air circulation section, the cool air introduced from the IN side of the cooler passes through the square hole 9 in the outer periphery of the center ring and the round hole 11 in the middle partition plate 10 and passes through the round hole 12 on the outer periphery side of the partition plate 10. The structure is drawn from the outer peripheral side of the lowermost stage to the OUT side of the cold air circulation. At the reagent outlet 1, the blowout is strong near the center of the cool box, and the OUT side is strongly drawn on the outer peripheral side and the suction state is established. However, by providing the outside air introduction hole 2 in the vicinity of the OUT side of the cold air circulation of the air-cooled cool box as shown in FIG. 2, preferably between the reagent take-out port 1, the drawing out on the OUT side becomes weak, and the reagent is taken out. The pressure difference at the mouth 1 can be reduced, and all the cold air that has entered the reagent bottle storage 3 from the IN side of the cold air circulation can be blown out at the reagent outlet 1, so that the reagent bottle storage 3 generated by the intrusion of outside air. Condensation can be prevented.

  As a method for making all the air bubbles from the reagent outlet 1 to be air bubbles, it can be realized by installing the partition of the cold storage in the center of the circle and arranging the OUT side 180 degrees opposite to the IN side. It is not so realistic because it affects

  On the upper surface of the reagent outlet 1 of the reagent cooler cover, condensation occurs due to contact with the outside air. As a countermeasure, a wall 4 shown in FIG. 3 is provided around the reagent take-out port 1, and the cold air contacts the outside air at a place beyond the wall and is condensed on the outside of the wall 4. Prevented. In addition, in order to prevent the condensation water from dripping when the reagent removal door 5 is opened and closed when the reagent bottle is replaced, a moisture absorbent 6 around the reagent removal door 5 is installed, and the natural evaporation range of the moisture absorbent 6 Condensed water exceeding the range can be provided with a drain hole 7 for forcibly draining liquid to prevent the formation of condensed water in the entire cool box.

  When a conventional reagent cooler is used, the measured value decreases due to the influence of thinning or deterioration of the reagent due to condensed water, and correct data cannot be obtained. On the other hand, when the reagent cool box of the present invention is used, since it is not affected by this, stable data can always be obtained.

Explanatory drawing of the reagent cooler by this invention. Explanatory drawing of the Example by this invention. Explanatory drawing of the reagent extraction port and reagent extraction door by this invention. The top view of the reagent cooler by this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Reagent extraction port, 2 ... Outside air introduction hole, 3 ... Reagent bottle storage, 4 ... Wall, 5 ... Reagent removal door, 6 ... Hygroscopic material, 7 ... Drain hole, 8 ... Partition wall, 9 ... Center ring Square holes on the outer periphery, 10 ... partition plates in the middle stage, 11 ... round holes, 12 ... round holes on the outer periphery side.

Claims (3)

A reagent container for mounting a plurality of reagent containers;
A cool air introduction section that is adjacent to the reagent storage section and that introduces cool air from a cooler; a cold air circulation section that includes a cool air discharge chamber that returns cool air to the cooler;
A cold air inlet for introducing cold air from the cold air introduction chamber into the reagent container;
A cold air outlet for discharging cold air from the reagent container to the cold air discharge chamber;
In the vicinity of the cooler in the cool air discharge chamber, an outside air inlet for introducing outside air into the cool air discharge chamber;
An automatic analyzer comprising a reagent cooler provided with The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein
An automatic analyzer comprising a wall portion surrounding a reagent outlet provided in an upper lid portion of the reagent storage portion. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1 or 2,
An automatic analyzer having a moisture absorbing material in a reagent removal door on an upper lid of the reagent storage unit and further having a drain hole for draining excess condensed water.

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